Revolvable electrical plug



Dec- 17, 1940- J. J. HOLLANDER 2,225,218

REVOLVABLE ELECTRICAL PLUG Filed March 16, 1939 Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT l OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an electrical utility plug and has for its main object the provision of an electrical plug which will efficiently maintain electrical Contact with the electrical socket with which it is used regardless of its rotatory disposition relative thereto.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrical plug of the character described, which will be convenient for economical manufacture along lines of quantity production and which will at the same time effectively discharge the duties for which it is designed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my present invention; Fig. 2 is an end on elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a mid-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and in the direction indicated; Fig, 5 is a mid-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and in the direction indicated. Referring to the constructional details, the reference character I0 represents a plug member formed of Bakelite or some other insulating material. Said plug is provided with a passageway II therethrough which accommodates the lead in wire I2. Said wire I2 communicates with the face I3 of said plug member III for a purpose to be described. Said face I3 is set below the outer face I4 of the device by reason of its being defined by an annular flange I5 formed integrally with the member I0.

One lead end I6 of said wire is connected to member. I 1 and the other lead end I8 of said wire 5 I2 is connected to the spring member I9. Both of said connections are made to theA screws 20 and 2|, respectively, which also serve to hold the members Il and I9 to the face I3. Said wire lead ends are disposed in recesses 22 and 23, and the 10 members I'I and I9 are set into conforming recesses in said face I3, so that no portion of the said wire lead ends or members Il and I9 protrude substantially above said surface I3. How ever, the free end 24 of the spring member I9 15 normally would extend quite a substantial distance outward from the surface I3 if allowed to do so.

Centrally of the plug member Ill a pin member 25 is placed, extending through the body of 20 the member Ill as at 26 and further extending out from the face I3. Said pin member 25 is provided internally of the plug member l0 with a head 2l and a bearing washer 28 to permit the pin to be screwed on to the member Il at one end 29 thereof. An insulating spacer washer 30 is mounted above the member I1 and serves to space the member 3| from the face I3.

Said member 3| is formed as a cylindrical o plate of insulating material and is rotatively mounted on said pin member 25 by reason of said pin member passing through the tubular rivet 32. Said rivet 32 retains the supporting arm 33 of a male electrical prong 34 to the member 3| 35 together with the washer 35. The end of the pin member 25 is flattened out as a rivet head 36 over the washer 31 to make the said mounting permanent. 'I'he entire assembly is rendered firm by reason of the resilient action of the free end 40 -24 of the spring member I9 urging the member 3| to the right as viewed in Fig. 3.

The second male electrical prong 38 is provided with a supporting arm 39 which is held to the member 3| by the rivets 40 and 4|. Said, 45 rivets also serve to aid in holding an annular ring 42 to the inside face of said member 3|. Said ring 42 serves as a bearing and electrical contact for the free end 24 of the member I9.

Both of said prong arms 33 and 39 are set 50 into recesses 43 and 44, respectively, of said member 3|, so that the outer surface thereof is substantially fiush with the annular flange I5.

It is to be noted that since the member 3| is formed of lesser diameter than the recess formed 55 within the flange II, the same will be free to rotate on that account. n t

Electrical contact is establishedlfromwthe lead ends tothe prongs as follows: lead endi to vscrew 2l to member i1 to pin member-25 to rivet 81 to arm Il of prong Il; lead ends i8 to screw 2l to spring member I9` through free end of myinvention will obviously disclose the entire i and complete operation thereof, further explanation willbe dispensed with. s e

If desired, the said member Il may 'beldetachably fastened `to the member Ill, whereby the said members may betreadily separated whenever found necessary or desirable, t such, for example, as for replacing the leads il ,andvi l t should the latter become injured or disconnected from theirurespective contacts 20 and 2i". n One means of accomplishing such a detachable en gagement may be by providing adjacent the free end of the pin orstud 25 an1opening through which a `suitable cotter pin` may be passedlfor securely locking lthe said members 3i and in' in operative engagement with each other.

While reference and disclosure have been made with regard tota more orless specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be noted that the details and less `important featuresare capable 40 of `assuming diversified forms and wide variations without departing from the purviewtof my invention.` I do not wish to be limited in my l Letters Patent no Vmedicines `as disclosed, but rather would be protected for the broad generalities to which my invention entitles me and which are herewith stated in the appended claim.

I claim: t

In a device of the character described, a plug member of insulating material provided with a recessed face lat one end `thereonan annular fiangesurrounding said face, an opening at the opposite end of said plugmember for leading electrical conductors to the said recessed face, said opening leading to a passageway extending through the said plug member `to one side ofthe centerthereof and opening up lto said recessed face, a .paix-oiY electrical contacts `set in said recessedface, one of said contacts `being of resilient metal and having a Portion normally extending obliquely outwards away from said face in a direction abouta portion of the circumference of said recessed face. the otherof` said contacts extending to the center of said plug lmember, alpin member extending longitudinally of said plug member and attached thereto iand having said second `contact l electrically connected therewith,` shallow `depressions in said" recessed face adapted to accommodate the ends of said electrical conductorsand enablesame to be connected to said contacts-on said face. a relatively nat membex'mofinsulatingmaterial` disposed in said recessed face and rotatively mounted on the endof said pin member substantially flush with said annularilangeyapair of male prongs `fixed to the outer face ofsaid atmember, one of said prongs electricallyand rotatively attached to said end ofsaid `pin member, yan annularmetalllc memberwilxed to the opposite face `ofzsaid flat member, the second prong being electrically attached `thereto,` the `obliquely extending portion of said first mentioned `contact t being` in `constant wiping electrical contact with `said annularring and adapted to urge said ilat member away from said plug `member to eliminate slack therebetween and permit the maintenance of con-- H stant electricalrconnectlon betweensaid conductors and said male prongs regardless of the rotatory disposition of said prongs with respect to said plug member. i

JOSEPH J.y HOLLANDER. 

